How to Cultivate Night Blooming Cereus
Does any flower have as many magical names as the selenicereus grandiflora? Most commonly referred to as "night blooming cereus," this strange blossoming cactus is also referred to as "queen of the night" and "lunar star." Though each flower only blooms once, the excitement of watching a flower open close to midnight is enough for many people to cultivate this exotic treat. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Mix equal parts sand or brick dust with a standard commercial potting soil. Night blooming cereus is a species of cactus, and needs a dry, well drained soil.
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Fill planting pot about halfway with sand and soil mixture, then place in your cereus. Add the rest of the mixture, covering the roots and keeping it off of the plant. You can also plant your cereus in your yard if you have a spot with partial shade and light sun, but these plants are usually kept as house plants.
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Fertilize your cereus with liquid manure monthly during the spring and summer. Water occasionally and let the soil dry out fully before watering or fertilizing again. Like most cacti, the low maintenance night blooming cereus doesn't like too much water.
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Tips & Warnings
The night blooming cereus needs to establish its roots before it can bloom. Frequent repotting makes this difficult, so try not to do it unless it's completely necessary.
These plants are rarely available at nurseries, but they are very easy to propagate. If you can find a local gardener with a night blooming cereus, ask for a 2 to 4 inch stem cutting. You can plant the cutting in sandy soil and it will establish roots in as little as 3 weeks. It may take up to 2 years however to begin flowering.
Over watering your cereus can rot the roots and kill your plant before you have chance to see the flowers bloom.
Avoid fertilizing the cereus during fall and winter. The plant is more likely to bloom if its had a period of dormancy before the spring.
